This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P2002-29842, filed on May 29, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat display monitor, and more particularly, to a hinge assembly for a display device that enables a user to easily adjust the orientation of the flat display monitor and that can be easily manufactured through very simple processes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a typical cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor includes a display panel for displaying an image, a funnel coupled to the rear of the display panel, and an electron gun coupled to the rear of the funnel. This configuration becomes one of the disadvantageous limitations of the CRT monitor that the total volume and weight of the CRT monitor are quite large. In addition to the problem mentioned above, the CRT monitor has a further limitation that a user is easily fatigued when watching the CRT monitor for long hours due to its low image quality. For at least the problems set above, many people have recently started to use flat display monitors, e.g., Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors, instead of the conventional CRT monitors because of the greatly reduced size and weight characteristics and high image quality of the flat display monitors.
Even though some users may prefer to mount their flat display monitors on the walls, it is much more common that a typical flat display monitor is placed on a flat area such as a desk and is connected to a main computer device and many communication cables. However, the existing monitor-supporting devices for many flat display monitors do not provide a desirable manner of adjusting the orientations of the monitors. Namely, the hinge assembly included in the existing monitor-supporting devices is designed in a way that a user needs to exert a large amount of force to adjust the inclination angle of a flat display monitor. In addition, the sizes and weights of the existing monitor-supporting devices are unnecessarily large, causing inconveniences to many users.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a hinge assembly for a flat display device that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge assembly for a flat display monitor that enables a user to easily adjust the orientation of the flat display monitor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge assembly for a flat display monitor that can be made and assembled through fairly simple manufacturing processes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a monitor-supporting system with a hinge assembly whose size and weight are significantly reduced.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a hinge assembly of the present invention includes a support plate fastened to a rear side of a flat display monitor; first and second mount brackets, each having a base side fastened to the support plate and a bracket side with a bracket hole, the bracket side being provided perpendicular to the base side; and a hinge shaft rotatably mounted so as to extend through the bracket hole of each mount bracket.
The hinge assembly of the present invention further includes a hinge tongue fixedly coupled to the hinge shaft, the hinge tongue also being coupled to a support leg that supports the flat display monitor; means for limiting an inclination angle of the flat display monitor by limiting an angular position of the hinge shaft with respect to the bracket side; and means for adjusting a torque required to change the inclination angel of the flat display monitor.
The means for limiting the inclination angle described above includes a bracket groove provided on the bracket side of each of the first and second mount brackets, and a stopper with a restraining tip fixedly coupled to each of first and second side fitting portions of the hinge shaft so as to locate the restraining tip within the bracket groove. On the other hand, the means for adjusting the required torque includes a pair of torsional springs provided between the hinge tongue and each of the first and second mount brackets, one or more frictional washers provided on each end portion of the hinge shaft, and a tightening nut provided at each end of the hinge shaft so as to adjust the required torque by tightening or loosening the frictional washers.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.